Coloring in the 90s was different because back then while we could use computers, we didn't have Photoshop open to us where I was hired to color at in a color separation house in downtown Chicago. I worked 3rd shift and was promoted to 2nd shift eventually. We worked on PCs running Codd-Barrett coloring system programs. Apparently these cost them $10K just to use. Insane. It was all vector based so points with no bezier curves had to be created and filled with color percentages from the colorists color guides supplied.

Color gradients or airbrushing was from one solid color to another solid color... no transparency, and companies often wanted you to create that look, but with limited technology, we had to get creative. So instead of creating a shape then selecting to airbrush that shape, sometimes we had to invert that shape by making sort of the mask for it like you would to protect the art from paint spill over then airbrush that so you could get the effect of something like I did on the smoke for Uncanny X-Men 313.

And we were paid per page. $20-$50 per page... not much even back then. Needless to say, I got into advertising within 8 months.